Chainless corn-planter.



T. P. DONHAM.

GHAINLESS 001m PLANTBR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26, 1911.

Patented July 2, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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witnesses.

T. F. DONHAM.

GHAINLESS CORN PLANTER.

APPLIGATION FILED OCT. 26, 1911.

1,031,538. Patented July 2,1912.

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. CHAINLESS coma-2mm.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1912.

Qnpitoation filed :Ootober 26, 1911. Serial No; 656,918.

To 0% whom, it may concern:

Be it knewnlthat I, TH'oMAs F. DonHAM, citizen of the United States, residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vi-go and State of Endi-ana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inC/hainless Corn- Planters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use same.

This invention relates to seeders and planters and more especially to those usually employed for dropping corn; and the object of the same is to produce a machine of this character having a marking device rotating in contact with the ground and producing a mark thereon opposite each hill planted, the marker having a cam for actuating the seeddropping mechanism just at the proper time. This and other objects are accomplished by the construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as shown in the drawings wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation and Fig. 2 a plan view of this device in its preferred form; Fig. 3 is a side elevation and Fig. 4 a plan view showing a slight modification thereof; Fig. 5 'is'a perspective detail on an enlarged scale showing the construction of the V-shaped marker.

The corn-planter features of this device comprise, in the present instance, a tongue T connected to a frame F carrying two shoes or furrow openers S upon each of which is mounted a grain box B from which the corn or seed is passed down the drill or droppingtube at intervals by the seed-dropping mechanism which forms no part of the present invention save as it is controlled by the marker wheel to be described below. In rear of each shoe is here shown a planting or covering wheel W, and the seed-dropping mechanism is here illustrated as cont-rolledby a rock shaft R extending from one shoe to the other. The general nature of the construction and operation of this much of the mechanism is so well understood that I will not go further into details.

Coming now more particularly to the present invention, in its preferred form I mount a marking wheel 1 on an'axle 2 between the two shoes S and so disposed that some considerable weight will fall upon this wheel and cause it to rotate by its contact with the ground. On its perlphery at of the V stands radial to the wheel and parallel with its axis and constitutes the marker itself; while the win or sides of the V, as at 7, may form cams or a purpose to appear below, but individual and separate cams 8 will preferablybe secured to the sides of the wheel 1 at other points than opposite said marker. The latter disposition of said cam 1s necessary where the axle 2 extends between the two shoes S and the wheel 1 is disposed between them, but the wings 7 of the marker itself ma constitute cams as more clearly shown in Fig. 3 where the wheel is mounted on hangers 9 depending from the tongue T and is disposed some distance forward of the seed-planting mechanism. The former construction is perhaps preferable, because the entire machine is more compact; but the latter construction may often be desiredwhere this invention is adapted to a corn planter already constructed. In either construction of the machine, the use of screws 5 securing the steel facing 6 to the core 4 is of advantage because when the surface of the facing is worn by contact with the ground or with the trigger or both, the screws can be removed and the entire facing reversed as will be clear.

The connection between the marker wheel and the seed-dropping mechanism consists, in my preferred construction, of one or more triggers 15 secured upon and depending from the rock shaft R in position to be struck by the cams 8 as the marker wheel 1 rotates; and in the construction of my invention where the marker wheel is disposed forward of the shoes the trigger 16 is pivoted at 17 to the tongue or other suitable support and a link 18 connects the remote end of the trigger with a rod 19 projecting from-the rock shaft, and in this case the side of the marker itself constitutes the cam which strikes. the lower end 15 of the trigger 16 as the marker wheel rotates. In connection with this device I employ a guide bar 20 pivoted as at 21 to the tongue T or at some central point on the framework so that it can be thrown outward to either side of the machine, and from the outer ends thereof hangs a pendant indicator consisting of a plumb line 23 having a weight 24 at that they will strike the triggers and oscillate the rock shaft R at just the proper moment to dro the seed through the shoes 'when the mout s of the seed-dropping tubes therein reach a point in line with the mark just made. On the other hand, if the marker wheel is disposed forward of the shoes, the separate cams' 8 may be dispensed with and the wings 7 of the marker itself employed, that wing or face which is uppermost striking the lower end of the trigger 16 just a proper time to cause it, through its connections with the rock shaft, to turn the latter and drop the seed through the tubes in the shoes at points opposite the mark that has just been made. In either event the marker wheel continues its rotation as the machine is driven forward, and this operation is repeated across the field. When the driver comes alongside a row that has just been planted, or makes his next trip guide bar and indicator'are so disposed that the weight will travel over the path made by the marker wheel on the previous trip. If the machine is as the indicator points to or passes over a mark previously made, the cam should os- '1 cillate the rock shaft as above described and planting correctly, just later and thus correct any inaccuracies which might occur by reason of obstructions enco ntered in a rough field. The ropor- .tions and details of parts may be sa ely left to the manufacturer.

What is claimed as new is:

In a corn planter, the combination with the framework, the seed dropping mechanism including two boxes with their drills, a rock shaft connecting said boxes, and a rod projecting radially from said shaft; of a .wheel j ournaled in a support carried by the framework and having a flat periphery adapted to travel on the ground between vsaid boxes, a radially projecting marker and cam extending from the periphery and standing parallel with the axis of the wheel, a trigger pivoted between its ends in the framework and having one end adapted to j be struck by said cam, and a link connecting ;its other end with the rod projecting from ghe 00k shaft, all as and for the purpose set I ort around the field alongside such a row, the I In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS F. DONHAM. Witnesses:

W. T. GLEASON, C. L. FLESHMAN. 

